1. Situation

2. The county of La Garrotxa is in the extreme east of the Pyrenees and covers an area of 735 km2, split into 21 municipalities. It is the most easterly mountain county and the one with the lowest average altitude: most of its surface is less than 600m above sea level and the highest parts are not above 1,600m, differentiating it from the rest of the mountain counties. The relief is characterised by its transition from the mountain to the plain and by the existence of a volcanic zone, something that makes it especially distinct. The river Fluvià divides the county into two parts: the Alta Garrotxa and the Olot plain. The former presents an abrupt relief and a landscape that has been relatively unaltered by human activity. The latter, situated to the south of the Fluvià, comprises a softer landscape, characterised by the presence of volcanoes in the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park and by being the most populated zone. The county is formed around four large valleys: La Vall d'en Bas to the southeast, La vall d'Hostoles to the south and La Vall de Bianya to the west. In the east La Vall del Fluvià opens out towards the Empordà. Besalú, with an important medieval quarter, is found here, as is Beuda, with its important Romanesque churches. Nature

3. There are many examples of artistic expression that can be visited in La Garrotxa and they relate to various moments in history. If you are lovers of art, you will be absorbed by the finest of these works: the Roman road of Capsacosta, the Medieval - Romanesque, the Jewish legacy, the Renaissance, the Modernism and "Noucentisme" the Olot School, the Contemporary Art... Throughout La Garrotxa there is a long tradition of making nativity scenes. Several municipalities organise live nativity scenes in which the local residents take part and which are the most popular of all the Christmas festivals. This whole tradition of religious imagery is laid out in Museu dels Sants, unique in its genre. The visit to the three public museums (Museu Comarcal, Museu dels Volcans and Museu dels Sants) and to the two collections, one public - Casa-Museu Can Trincheria - and two private - Museu de la Fauna Salvatge del Pirineu Oriental and Museu de Miniatures i Microminiatures de Besalú- enables you to discover in great detail the natural and cultural heritage and history of La Garrotxa. Culture

4. In the Garrotxa there are restaurants for all palates, for the lovers of the good table and of the products local, autochthonous and traditional. For all tastes Some of the restaurants spread the history of Besalú through its gastronomy (collective Besalú Gastronòmica); other make on the day with innovative ideas the most traditional cooking of the region (group Cuina Volcànica); other are rewarded with Michelin Stars. The possibility to enjoy a good meal is guaranteed. Gastronomic archeology While the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park preserves tens of old varieties of fruit trees, the SIGMA Consortium sustains a bank of seeds of every type of plants in a historical way cultivated in the Garrotxa, and the collectives of restaurateurs retrieve traditional ingredients and prepare historical recipes, is being worked to join all these efforts to be able to favor, in a more generalized way, the crops of the autochthonous and traditional varieties and their posterior use in the restaurants. Gastronomy

6. Nature tourism in La Garrotxa is able to offer a wide variety of different accommodation options, situated in an exceptional natural environment: country houses, hotels, campsites, apartments, hostels and summer camps. Apart from accommodation situated in a rural setting, most villages also offer accommodation. Accommodation: beds Hotels and pensions 978 Rural tourism 855 Apartments 544 Hostels and summer camps 1.672 Campsites 4.984 Accomodation

7. La Garrotxa is one of the best places for bike touring in Catalonia. Olot is a key location, since it is necessary to pass through it to connect the Via Verda del Ferro with the Via Verda del Carrilet. In fact, it is the recommended starting point for the Via Verda del Carrilet, since a good section of the route to Girona is downhill. Olot also has several bike touring routes - not signposted - around the city, and Besalú has the Anella Verda (Green Ring), a wide pathway on the banks of the river Fluvià that is suitable for cycling along. Enterprises: Centre Logístic del Bicicarril (+34) 972 69 20 23 Bicycle renting, s ervice of bicycles collection and transfer luggage. Activities – bike tours

8. The horse world takes all its forms in La Garrotxa. Besides traditional routes on horseback it is possible to enjoy many more horse-related activities: educational activities on horseback for school groups, equi-therapy, walks, parties with ponies for small children guided by parents... and, for those new to the art of horseback riding, routes on horseback for beginners. Enterprises: Servei d’Equitació Garrotxa (+34) 679 31 82 05 Rucs i someres (+34) 609 30 49 94 Activities – horse riding

9. A flight in a hot air balloon over La Garrotxa is a unique experience suitable for all ages. Balloon flights take off early in the morning. The flight lasts between 1 h and 1 h 30 min, and includes cava and coca (typical sponge cake) served during the flight, and a farmers' breakfast after landing. The whole experience lasts from 8 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon approximately. The departure point is right in the middle of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, between Croscat volcano, Santa Margarida volcano and La Fageda d'en Jordà (beech forest). Enterprises: Vol de Coloms (+34) 972 68 02 55 Activities - h ot air balloon flights

10. The moderate slopes of La Garrotxa and their diversity and natural beauty make it an ideal place for lovers of hiking. Scores of historic paths make up the network of walking paths known as Itinerànnia, through which even those unaccustomed to walking can discover the farthest corners of La Garrotxa. Through Itinerànnia you will also be able to join up with paths in Ripollès and the Alt Empordà. This network of paths at times links up with some specific routes, both in the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park and the Alta Garrotxa, and allows you to discover some of the region's most interesting corners. The Roman road of Capsacosta, Camí Ral from Vic to Olot and several Senders de Gran Recorregut (long distance routes) are other possibilities in La Garrotxa for visiting on foot. All through the year there is the possibility of doing routes accompanied by a guide, either through Itinerànnia or outside of this network of walking paths. This can be arranged in several ways: hiring the guide directly or taking part in a tour as part of the "Descobreix la Garrotxa!" programme. Enterprises: A Peu: (+34) 972 68 05 23 Verd Volcànic: (+34) 972 90 38 22 Activities - hiking

11. Footpath network

12. A QUALITY TOURIST ATTRACTION 2500 Kms of ancient paths have been restored. Itinerànnia takes us from the mountains to the sea Create a network of paths and trails joining the major resources, tourist services and municipalities, using historic roads in the county to create tourist packages to spread tourism throughout the territory along the whole year

14. CREATING THE NETWORK OF PATHS Ancient paths+tourist resources +tourist services + application of selection criteria=

15. TOURIST RESOURCES IN RIPOLLÈS Two great valleys form the northern part of Ripollès: Ribes valley (river Freser) and Camprodon valley (headwaters of the Ter). The two meet at Ripoll to form a single valley running north-south. The three valleys, in turn, have a series of side valleys branching off (Núria, Toses, Pardines, Les Llosses, Vallfogona). The area was resettled under the auspices of Guifré el Pelós (Wilfred the Hairy), founder of the monasteries of Ripoll (879) and Sant Joan de les Abadesses (885), of decisive importance in the history of Catalonia.

16. TOURIST RESOURCES IN GARROTXA The Garrotxa county includes the Volcanic area Natural Park, which includes Olot, the capital. It is one of the most interesting examples of volcanic area in Europe, with well preserved ancient craters, blowholes and spectacular basalt lava (Castellfollit de la Roca), clay pits, etc. Other splendid landscapes are Bassegoda mountain, the Mare de Déu del Mont range (with the sanctuary), the Corb and Finestres ranges, Puigsacalm mountain, the Hostoles, En Bas, Bac and Bianya valleys, the surroundings of Santa Pau (with the Jordà beech wood), or the Moixina spring near Olot. Medieval villages like Santa Pau or Besalú (characterized by its jewish heritage like the Mikwah)‏

17. TOURIST RESOURCES IN ALT EMPORDÀ Alt Empordà is the most northern coastal county in Catalunya. Three Natural Parks: Cap de Creus , it forms a great alluvial plain furrowed by the Muga and the Fluvià rivers, which flow into the wide gulf of Roses. In the mountainous part, on the French border, is the Albera , an area of special natural interest. In the marshy coastal area of the gulf of Roses, dominated by Castelló d'Empúries, are the wetlands of Aiguamolls de l'Empordà , an important ecological reserve (particularly for water birds). On the craggy northern coast are the towns of Portbou, Colera, Llançà, El Port de la Selva, Cadaqués and Roses. South of the gulf are the Greco-Roman ruins of Empúries and the village of L’Escala. The capital is Figueres famous because of Dali’s Museum.

19. HORIZONTAL SIGNING THE NETWORK’S IDENTIFICATION Carry straight on Path to the left or right Wrong path

20. VERTICAL SIGNING At junctions, the signs will tell us the walks we can take and the time it will take to complete them THE NETWORK’S IDENTIFICATION UTM coordinates Difficulty level

21. Scale of 1:50000 Available in travel and mountain specialized shops all around Europe . CARTOGRAFIC MAPS

25. Montse Padrosa Gelabert www.turismegarrotxa.com [email_address] Tel. 00 34 972 27 16 00 Av. Onze de Setembre 22, 2a planta 17800 Olot More information Montse Padrosa Gelabert www.turismegarrotxa.com [email_address] Tel. 00 34 972 27 16 00 Av. Onze de Setembre 22, 2a planta 17800 Olot